A New Threat
by Hunter Stag
Summary: The Elites return to Sangheilos to find the Arbiter's state of Vadam empty, all of its citizens slaughtered. Now the Arbiter and Rtas Vadum must work together with strange allies to save their home from another threat. Rated M for gore and language.
1. Chapter 1

The stars over Sangheilos were perfect and undisturbed. Then the giant hole opened in space, disgorging nine Covenant CCS-class battleships as well as a massive assault carrier. The _Shadow of Intent_ took up position at the front of the formation as the fleet moved into orbit. On the carrier's bridge, Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum and Arbiter Thel 'Vadam stood, looking down on their homeworld as the crew worked behind them. Rtas sighed. "So, it is safe."

"Once and for all," the Arbiter agreed. He placed a slim, dark hand on 'Vadum's shoulder and then turned to the bridge crew. "Send a message to the Vadam keep. Tell them that their kaidon has returned."

The crewman stationed at communications nodded and tapped several buttons on his display. The room was silent for a moment as he spoke into the small microphone integrated into the terminal. "Attention Vadam Keep. This is the carrier _Shadow of Intent_ with the Sangheili Fleet of Retribution. Do you copy? Respond, over."

There was only static. They listened to it for a short while before the crewman tried again. "I repeat, Vadam Keep this is the _Shadow of Intent_. We are requesting clearance to disembark, over."

Still static. 'Vadum looked at the sensors operator. "Are you picking up anything strange? Life signs of Jiralhanae? Anything?"

"No, Ship Master. It would appear that…wait…I have something, coming up on the holoprojector."

"Surface signal synchronizing with shipboard generators," the communications officer said. "Coming online now."

The holoprojector sprang to life to reveal a monstrosity the likes of which no Sangheili in the room had ever encountered.

It was a large creature, a sort of alien. It had a long, lozenge-shaped head, ending with a fearsome maw that showed a hideous protrusion that possessed its own mouth. The tail that whipped in and out of view was long and ended with a sharp, bladed tip. Claws gleamed in the light of the projector and painted the thing's carapace a ghostly blue. It screeched at them fiercely before the connection cut out.

'Vadum looked at the sensors operator. "What in the name of the gods was that?"

"I…I don't know, Ship Master."

The Arbiter looked at the security officer. "Prepare the drop pods and instruct the Special Warfare detachment to report to the bays. Have them reserve two for the Ship Master and me."

The security officer slammed a clenched fist into his chest. "By your will, Arbiter."

The Arbiter looked at 'Vadum. "Come. Let us discover the meaning of this intrusion."

Both Sangheili exited the bridge and made their way to an elevator. As the car rode downwards to the pod deployment bay, 'Vadum looked at the Arbiter. "What do you think it was?"

'Vadam shook his head. "I don't know. Some kind of demon?"

Rtas shrugged. "Possibly. Or a Jiralhanae weapon or some kind of trick."

'Vadam stopped the elevator at an armory level. As the two Sangheili exited the elevator, Rtas looked at him. "Do you think it could be the humans?"

The Arbiter shook his head. "No. They are occupied with rebuilding their home world. They are in no position to make trouble with us, and most likely would not wish to, especially not after we helped them defeat the Covenant."

The two entered one of the larger armories. Both took a pair of plasma rifles, a plasma pistol, and an energy sword. Rtas took a portable shield from a shelf. Turning it on briefly, he examined the humming rhombus before deactivating the device and placing it on his arm. The two returned to the elevator and resumed their journey to the bay. After the elevator stopped, they disembarked.

Sangheili in black armor were moving to and fro on the launch pad, going to their assigned pods. Two that stood next to each other were empty. Those were the ones that 'Vadum and the Arbiter would be taking. The Special Warfare commanding officer approached them and saluted. "We are almost ready, Ship Master."

"Good," 'Vadum said. "Once we are on the ground, have all of our Phantoms on standby with lances ready for emergency combat deployment. Keep the shields up, too. If what we saw is a new threat, we must not be caught unawares in space by it."

The commanding officer nodded and relayed the orders to the bridge. The Arbiter looked around at the Sangheili in the bay. "Move!"

The warriors ran to their pods. The Arbiter and the Ship Master barely fit inside theirs with all of their gear, but once the lids hissed shut over them they could do nothing to stop it.

In his own pod, 'Vadum felt a loud hiss reverberate through his pod as the _Shadow of Intent_ lowered its shields to allow the pods to launch. Once the shields were lowered there was a loud _bang_ and Rtas was pressed into the cushioning on the inside of the pod as the thing shot towards the surface of Sangheilos. Rtas looked at the hatch separating him from the cold blackness of space as the air inside his pod began to heat up. They were entering Sangheilos's atmosphere.

Inside his own pod, the Arbiter mused. What had been that strange creature they had seen? It could not have been one of the humans, or one of the members of his keep playing a trick. They would not dare do that to their kaidon. But he did not go through countless battles, humiliation by those he had once obeyed without question, and into the living hell of a parasite to lose all that he held dear to him in one fell swoop. He heard a loud _crack_, followed by a violent jerk that popped the seal on the pod. The Arbiter was thrown forward, fell on a hard, jagged surface, and lost consciousness as something hit his helmet.

Rtas was luckier. His pod landed on the shore of the sea that Vadam bordered, along with nearly all of the other Special Warfare soldiers. He looked around. All of the regulars were accounted for… He snapped his claws at one of them. "Where is the Arbiter?"

"I know not, Ship Master. Perhaps he landed somewhere in the city."

Rtas looked towards the mass of buildings that awaited them. He just now noticed that it was eerily quiet. No Sangheili citizens walked the pier; none peeked out from behind cover. There was nothing at all. Not even the local avian species made noise. He drew his plasma rifles and held them akimbo as he looked at the others. "Split into lances and make your way towards the keep. Search every house, every workplace, and every street until you get to the main gates. I go to find the Arbiter. Contact me if you find anything interesting."

The Sangheili saluted in unison and split up into teams. Rtas, unburdened by organization, ran into the streets of the city to find the Arbiter.

He found him quickly. A building with a conspicuously fresh-looking hole in the roof led him inside. The main room was dominated by a pile of rubble. Sticking out of the pile of rubble was a drop pod, and sprawled out across the pile of stone was the body of the Arbiter, lying spread-eagled and face down on the rocks.

Rtas, one plasma rifle trained on the doorway, the other on the Arbiter, kept one eye on his motion tracker as he approached the Sangheili. Stepping forward, he poked the Arbiter with the rifle. A hand instantly shot up and grabbed his arm. The Arbiter groaned and lifted his head slowly.

_Good,_ Rtas thought, _he's still alive._

"What happened?" the Arbiter asked groggily.

"Your pod was apparently knocked off course, and you knocked unconscious."

"The others?"

"All landed safely. I've ordered them to make their way towards the keep and search the city. If they find anything of importance, they will let us know."

Their communications systems both beeped at once.

"Arbiter, this is _Shadow of Intent_."

"Ship Master, this is Major Domo Derma 'Tharan."

Both answered in unison. "Yes?"

"We conducted a scan of the space surrounding Sangheilos, and there is another ship in orbit around the planet on the opposite side, out of our visual sensors."

"We found something of…importance, sir. Very great importance. You need to come and see."

The Arbiter pressed the button on his communicator again. "_Shadow of Intent, _stay your explanation. I will contact you shortly."

He released the button as Rtas informed the Major Domo that they were on their way.

The two warriors ran through the streets. Rtas stopped suddenly as something flashed across his motion tracker. He looked around, first at street level, then the rooftops. The Arbiter looked curiously at him. "What do you see?"

The Ship Master looked at the rooftops one more time, then turned back. "I…don't know."

They began running again, finally coming to what the Arbiter recognized as the proving grounds of young Sangheili warriors that had been seeking entrance into the Covenant military. Now the place was covered with a sort of sticky webbing. The Special Warfare lances were positioned by every entrance. 'Tharan snapped to attention as his superiors approached. "Sirs, we have determined that there is something inside the stadium. The webbing above the arena seems to be covering the smell, so we had to venture inside a short distance before detecting it."

"We will go inside. Stay out here and watch for threats," the Ship Master commanded.

He and the Arbiter carefully walked forward. They moved through the tunnels, eyes on their motion trackers. The Arbiter flicked on the flashlight built into his armor. Rtas looked at it, curious. "Where did you get that?"

"The humans modified the armor to accompany it. They call it a 'flashlight'."

"It doesn't look like it flashes."

"Their name, not mine."

Rtas gave an amused huff and they kept walking. Things skittered in the darkness. The Arbiter recalled that the noise was that of the small rodent creatures that infested Sangheilos. The arena security would have a lot to answer for by failing to keep his stadium free of pests.

Soon, a smell began to grow in his nostrils. He looked at Rtas. "Do you smell that?"

Rtas nodded. "Yes. It reminds me of the battlefield."

They both then stopped. "Death," they said in unison and began running.

The Arbiter reached the arena first, stopping short at what he saw.

Piled high in the center of the arena was a mountain of Sangheili bodies.

**I got the idea for this story from a Halo crossover forum on this site. Anyways, despite what most people thought I loved the first AvP movie. This'll also be shorter than my other stories, so expect it to wrap up in about seven more chapters. R and R!**


	2. Chapter 2

The pile was almost as high as the ceiling of webbing that kept the arena from being open to the air. Rtas caught up to the Arbiter, stopping short as well.

"By the gods…" he whispered. He looked at the Arbiter. "Who could have done this?"

The Arbiter growled. "The Brutes."

He jumped over the arena railing and Rtas followed, and very carefully, they approached the mountain of bodies. The smell was almost overpowering and was restricting their ability to breathe. The Arbiter coughed before holstering his weapons and beginning to climb the pile. Corpses shifted under his tread, sliding down in thick trails of blue blood. Rtas joined him and they clambered around the pile together, examining the bodies.

Each had been stripped of their clothing and had all been killed in a variety of ways. Many had their chests torn open, their rib cages pushed apart and their organs devoured. Others had small but jagged puncture wounds in a variety of places on their bodies. Others had been decapitated; their long necks and heads now piled uselessly, eyes wide open in fear. Others had been maimed or stabbed, two identical puncture wounds equidistant to each other in various places on their bodies. Others had been shot with some kind of weapon that left a shallow crater in their flesh. Still others had an obviously lethal puncture wound on both sides of their bodies. They'd been impaled by something.

The Arbiter stood on the pile, looking at the various death postures of what had once been proud citizens of Vadam, serfs that had been productive and happy and loyal to their kaidon. Now they were all dead, slain by an enemy that their own leader had failed to protect them from.

In anger he roared to the sky, the sound echoing in the stone of the arena and bouncing off of the webbing that spanned the top pillars of the structure. As he straightened, the pile of corpses shifted under his feet. The bodies slid uncontrollably, more above him sliding down with them. Rtas could only watch in horror as the Arbiter was buried underneath a new pile of dead Sangheili.

"Arbiter!" he shouted, running down to the new, smaller mountain of bodies even before it stopped sliding. He clambered onto the top of the pile, throwing bodies aside to send them tumbling down the slope. He kept working until the pile shifted and an armored hand shot up from the pile, groping. He grabbed the arm and pulled, and eventually the Arbiter emerged. Rtas helped him up from his grotesque prison, then looked up at the pile of bodies. "We will find those responsible for this."

"We know who was responsible!" the Arbiter shouted. "It was the Brutes! They were still jealous of our position in the Covenant and decided to take their revenge even farther! Even now they are on their ship in orbit, laughing at us!"

Rtas placed a hand on the Arbiter's shoulder. "We should at least investigate further. The _Shadow of Intent_ said something about another ship. See what they were talking about."

The Arbiter nodded and then activated his communicator. "_Shadow of Intent, _this is the Arbiter. Continue with your last transmission."

"The ship is not Covenant in design, sir. Not any other profile of other Covenant races pre-integration. We are at a loss, sir. We do not know what they are."

"What does the ship appear to be? Describe it."

"It has three engines, all on a large spar. The main section of the vessel is shaped like the head of one of the human's reptiles, a cobra, I believe they call it. There also appears to be a weapon on the prow. It has not moved, not even when observed by a Seraph flyby."

"Perhaps the crew is down here," Rtas suggested.

"Possibly, Ship Master. That is all to report for now."

"Tell me the moment anything different happens," the Arbiter said. "I want everything there is to know about what we are fighting."

"We will report to you as soon as we have anything to report, Arbiter."

The Arbiter deactivated his communicator and stood there, staring at the bodies of his subjects. Rtas laid a hand on his shoulder. "There is nothing we can do for them now, Arbiter. We can at least avenge them by finding whatever killed them and slaying it."

The Arbiter growled and turned away. They both ran back through the tunnel leading outside. As they exited it, Rtas turned to 'Tharan. "Continue with your previous orders. Move towards the keep, searching everything. The Arbiter and I will search together."

The Major Domos nodded and began gathering their commands. The Arbiter began moving back into the city, Rtas following. As they looked around, kicking down doors and searching inside, the Arbiter's feeling of unease grew. They had encountered no more bodies. None were in the houses, or on the streets, or in the working districts. Nor were they on the rooftops when one of the Special Warfare teams thought to conduct their search from there. The only things that were out of the ordinary were the countless splatters of Sangheili blood across the ground and on the walls of buildings.

The Arbiter and 'Vadum were walking through a street when they saw flashes of blue, heard screeching, and explosions. Drawing their swords they ran towards the disturbance, rounding the corner to find…nothing.

There was nothing there but a huddled form. They approached it cautiously, the Arbiter drawing a plasma rifle just in case. Reaching the body, they turned it over. It was the creature that they had seen on the ship. It was dead. The Arbiter looked around as Rtas examined the body. Craters had been blasted in the pavement and walls. Thick green blood was splattered everywhere, smoke rising from the spots where it had stuck. The Arbiter, curious, wrenched a small piece of wood from a window shutter and ran it through the mess. The wood immediately started smoking and the Arbiter dropped it. He looked at Rtas. "Their blood is like acid."

Rtas straightened. "The marks it bears are similar to the ones we found on the bodies of some of your followers. Something else is at work here than us and them."

"But what?" the Arbiter asked. "And why come here?"

"Perhaps they are looking for a new home and decided to come here."

"But it does not look like they carry weapons. They only use what nature gave them."

"But what nature are they? What are they called?"

Something flitted across the Arbiter's motion tracker. He turned and looked around.

Nothing. He looked at Rtas. "We should keep moving. Back out onto the street."

They left the alley and the body of the creature. Turning, they stopped short as the moons revealed what they had not seen in the darkness.

Bodies carpeted the street in front of them. Creatures lay there in massive numbers. No Sangheili were among them, and the bodies bore the same marks as the one in the alley. Rtas looked at the Arbiter. "If these creatures are as tough to kill as they seem, then whoever is killing them must be a formidable warrior."

The Arbiter growled. "No Jiralhanae could have done this. What could?"

"Perhaps the answer lies in the keep. Come. We must keep moving."

They walked through the streets, stepping around smoking puddles of blood and over the bodies of creatures. The Arbiter turned at a sound. Looking around, he pulled out a plasma rifle. "Be you friend or foe, come out and face us!"

"Kaidon! Thank the gods!"

A Sangheili in the robes of a Vadam elder left the cover of a stack of barrels. "Have you brought help? What of the Covenant?"

"The Covenant is destroyed, old one. The Prophets were liars, and we fools to do their bidding."

"Then your return comes at a good time. Although, I fear that it is already too late."

"What happened here, elder?" Rtas asked. "What devilry is this?"

"They came only days ago. A ship appeared and crashed on the outskirts of the city. When we sent warriors aboard, they disappeared. We heard nothing from them but screams and shooting. Only hours later, something else came out. They moved into the city, slaughtering anyone they came across. Their appearance was such that we fled from them in terror. The warriors could not arm in time. They butchered us, and dragged off several alive, and their numbers slowly grew. Then it got worse."

"Worse how?" the Arbiter asked.

"Another ship came and landed on the outskirts then returned to orbit soon after. By this time the streets were filled with violence. Sangheili were being slaughtered everywhere, and then when they came, we thought they would ally with us. But they turned on us and began slaughtering us the same way that the creatures had."

"Then they were allies with the creatures?" Rtas asked.

"No," the elder replied. "They started killing everything. Sangheili and creatures alike."

"And what of the keep?" the Arbiter asked. "Did you not seek safety within its walls?"

"Many of us did. The guards had heard the screaming and had manned the walls, but it did no good. After the creatures had killed everyone that remained in the city, they attacked us. Those that were not busy fighting the newcomers climbed the walls and jumped onto the parapets from the roofs of other buildings. The guards fought them, but the creatures were too numerous. They overran the defenses and entered the keep, and it began again. I have been hiding for days, waiting for it to stop. And it seems that it has."

"And the others? How many other Sangheili still live?"

The elder, breathing heavily from recounting his tale, shook his head. "I know not, kaidon. But if you seek to rescue your domain, I fear you are too late."

The Arbiter growled. He looked at the elder again. "Surely you must have aided them in some way. You should have fought!"

"There was nothing I could do, kaidon! They were too numerous, too fast!"

_"I do not want excuses!"_ the Arbiter roared. "You should have done your duty to your state and your kaidon! You should have died, and instead you hide in the shadows as a gibbering coward!"

"Please!" the elder wailed, getting on his knees. "Please, kaidon! Show me mercy!"

"I will," the Arbiter said with his voice now deathly quiet. "I will show you the mercy of a _quick death._"

Without further warning and before the elder could protest the Arbiter drew his sword and sliced it across the throat of the elder. As the aged Sangheili gagged and clutched futilely at the flowing blood, the Arbiter stabbed him in the chest. The elder gave a strangled gasp and his arms dropped. The Arbiter removed the sword and swung one last time, the blade a blue streak as it swept through the elder's neck in a spray of blue blood. The elder's head fell to the pavement with an oddly soft splat, like a piece of raw meat laid on the cutting board. The body stayed upright for a moment before tumbling over in the opposite direction.

"Have you gone mad, Arbiter?" Rtas shouted. "What was the meaning of that?"

"He was a coward, Ship Master! _THEY WERE ALL COWARDS!"_

"Return to your senses, Arbiter! Would your subjects ask to see their kaidon this way? A raving eccentric that kills on a whim? You may have just slaughtered the last citizen of Vadam!"

This proposal stopped the Arbiter cold. His mandibles hung open, and his sword fell from his hand to fall to the ground. The blade turned off. The Arbiter turned and stripped the elder of his robes, laying them over the body. "I suppose he deserved some respect," he muttered. "He was able to survive for this long."

Rtas nodded. "Yes. But what he said was most likely true, Arbiter. If we had seen these beasts firsthand and not from the safety of space, I have no doubt that we would have panicked and fled just as they did."

The Arbiter nodded. "Yes. We should continue our search."

Rtas's comlink crackled. "Ship Master, come in. We have reached the keep. I am sending you our coordinates."

"Thank you. We will be there shortly."

Rtas turned to the Arbiter. "Come. Let us go and avenge your people."

Both Sangheili turned and began to run in the direction of the teams.

As they left, a figure decloaked in the center of the street. Concealed, it had watched the frightened elder share his tale. The one that had slain him would undoubtedly be a large threat. And these were alert, unlike the others had been when it had first arrived.

If they turned hostile, the targets could wait. A new hunt would begin.

It cloaked again, disappearing except for a slight distortion of the area behind it.

**I think that, since Elites value honor and bravery so much, that cowering in fear of something would warrant the death penalty. Don't you? Anyways, R and R!**


	3. Chapter 3

Rtas and the Arbiter reached the keep's wall. What they saw there was just as ghastly as what they had seen in the arena.

Dead creatures lay piled everywhere, either shot with plasma weapons or cleaved in some way by the pikes of the guards. The odd Sangheili soldier, pulled from the wall by them, was in the piles as well. The Arbiter looked up at the top of the walls. Dead Sangheili and creatures were draped over it, splatters of the blood of both sides staining the parapets. One Sangheili soldier's body was dangling precariously, held in place there by the corpse of a creature that lay strewn across the leg that was still on the wall. The other hung at an angle, as far as it could fall before reaching its limit. The Arbiter looked back down at the foot of the wall. The odd Sangheili head, severed from its shoulders by the creature's sharp tails, lay there as well. He looked at 'Tharan. "Have you sent anyone inside?"

"No, Arbiter."

"Then set a charge at the gates. We will enter it now."

The Sangheili set to work. They spread out across the street that led to the gates, weapons trained on the door as two Sangheili set an antimatter charge. They finished and ran backwards, detonating the charge as soon as they were out of the blast radius.

A loud bang and a flash of blue light lit up the night sky temporarily, then the Sangheili ran inside, their weapons ready. They moved through the entrance hall, eyes on their motion trackers as they stopped at the foot of the stairs that led to the rest of the keep. Rtas looked at the warriors. "Split up into teams and search for survivors. Go!"

The Sangheili split up again and began to comb the keep. Rtas looked at the floor. Sangheili, both soldiers and courtiers, lay strewn about on the floor. The bodies of more creatures lay there as well. The Arbiter turned and began to walk up the stairs, which, like the rest of the keep, were stained with the blood of both sides and littered with bodies. The Arbiter and Rtas moved through the keep together, past open doors that revealed dead Sangheili, the odd slain creature, and more splatters of blood. Rtas looked around as they passed the body of a creature that lay against the wall with a spear embedded in its chest. "I fear that the elder was correct, Arbiter. We have not seen anything alive since we entered this place."

"There must be someone still alive," the Arbiter replied. "We are warriors. Surely some must have been able to hold out against them."

He then gasped as they passed through a smashed door to see the main hall of the keep. The Saga of Vadam was still on the wall, but patches of it were burned away or obscured by the blue and green blood that had splattered the wall. The room was covered in the bodies of Sangheili and creatures, the sight of a last stand to protect the history of their home. The Arbiter admired their courage. Several Sangheili wore the robes of elders. The Arbiter looked around, then turned to Rtas. "Check in with the other teams. See if they have found anything."

Rtas activated his comlink. "'Tharan, come in. 'Tharan, this is Rtas 'Vadum. Answer me."

There was only static. Rtas looked up at the Arbiter. "Jamming?"

The Arbiter shrugged.

There was no jamming. The Sangheili's communicators were working fine, though the trouble was on 'Tharan's end.

The bodies of the last Sangheili search team lay strewn about the hallway in various forms of death. Several had been maimed, others decapitated, and others just plain stabbed. 'Tharan himself had been gored by a thrown spear and others had been shot.

The creature retrieved its spear, deactivated the plasma caster, and took one of the Sangheili's dropped helmets from the floor. It listened to the words coming through.

"I repeat, Major Domo 'Tharan, this is Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum. The Arbiter and I are in the keep's main hall and the Arbiter wishes for an update. Respond!"

Hissing behind the creature made it turn. A trio of red lights in a triangle came to rest on one of the other creatures. The plasma caster reactivated and fired, blowing the thing's head from its shoulders.

Rtas managed to keep himself from jumping at the noise of the cannon firing. The Arbiter looked at him, puzzled. "What is it?"

Rtas shook his head. "I don't know. But I think that we are not alone in this place."

The Arbiter looked at the hallway that they had entered from. Going over, he shut the door and then looked around at the two other hallways that led into the room. "We should split up. We will cover more ground that way."

Rtas nodded. "By your will, Arbiter."

The Arbiter turned and ran down one of the passageways. Rtas turned and ran down the other.

The Arbiter walked down a hallway. It was the same as the others. Dead Sangheili and creatures filled the hallway; doors were smashed open, any occupants inside brutally slaughtered. Blood splattered the walls and the gore of the creatures sent smoke spiraling to the ceiling. The Arbiter was on the alert regardless, until he finally stopped at a hissing noise. Turning, he saw something on the ceiling, staring at him. It was one of the creatures and almost as soon as he saw it the thing leapt at him, its claws hitting him and sliding off his shield. The creature still managed to tackle him to the floor and was now clawing savagely at his armor. The Arbiter saw that his shields were losing charge and so he grabbed the creature's neck and threw it to the side. The thing rebounded, managing to latch onto the wall upon impact. It tackled him again and this time the Arbiter heard something click and felt the air around him become less enclosed.

_It took down my shield,_ he thought. He kicked out, knocking the thing across the hallway. The thing latched onto the ceiling with its tail and then swung back in his direction and landed in front of him. Faster than the Arbiter could react the thing charged at him, its claws swiping and searching for his vitals.

The claws managed to hit his face one, two, three times, knocking the Arbiter back a few steps. The thing tackled him once again. Sensing that its prey was vulnerable, the thing leaned in close. Its mouth dripped savagely as the thing opened its jaws and screeched at him, the tiny protrusion in its maw opening its own jaws. The hand that wasn't trying to keep the thing from biting his head off was desperately grabbing at his belt until it grasped the energy sword. As he struggled to free it from his waist, the creature's long tail was rising into the air, its stinger poised to strike. Before it could, the Arbiter activated his sword and swung it. The sword impacted the monstrosity's rib cage, the twin points coming out the other side. The creature ceased roaring and its tail fell limply to one side as the sword's entry point began to steam with the creature's acidic blood vaporizing on his sword. The Arbiter pushed the thing off of him, getting up and deactivating his sword. He waited for his shields to recharge.

Nothing. He was stuck with them off. He clicked on his comlink. "Ship Master, my shields have been knocked offline. They will not recharge. I am vulnerable. What is your condition?"

"I am close to the banquet hall, Arbiter. And you will not enjoy hearing what I have to tell you as news."

"What?"

"I have found our search teams. Dead. They are all dead."

"How?"

"Something that is not the creatures we have seen so far killed them. It may have been one of the other creatures that the elder described, the ones that fought the creatures in addition to us."

"And have you seen any of these creatures? I barely managed to kill one of the others a very short time ago."

"No, not yet…wait…who are you?"

There was a loud explosion and the transmission cut out.

**This is a lot gorier than my other stories...I have no idea what made me write it so. R and R anyways!**


	4. Chapter 4

Rtas dove to the side as a blue bolt of energy shot by him, blowing out a portion of wall. Drawing his plasma rifles he returned fire in the direction of the shot, guided only by his motion tracker as the thing leapt to the side to avoid the plasma. It fired again, this shot nearly missing Rtas. The Sangheili warrior felt heat wash over him as the attack hit the floor, causing a small crater to form. Rtas took a plasma grenade and primed it, tossing it into the hallway. It was intercepted midway by a net that had come from the direction of Rtas's attacker and the grenade was borne to the wall, where the net held it there until it exploded.

Rtas replaced his rifles and drew his energy sword. His attacker decloaked and Rtas took its appearance in before running forward.

The thing looked human. The skin that was not covered by armor was a tan color, like that of most humans. Its head was obscured by a helmet that covered its entire face save the number of dreadlocks that hung down past its shoulders. It drew a small piece of metal that then extended into a spear and charged towards him as well.

They came together with a terrific clang. Rtas was surprised that the spear was able to hold up to the energy of the blade, but if these things were to stand up to the creatures and their acidic blood, they would have to have been made of a strong material. He tackled the alien, catching it off guard. It then spun to the side. Rtas ducked as the spear made for his head, watching as it slammed into the wall. The thing then swept out with a leg, hitting Rtas. Though the boot skidded off of his shield, the force behind it drained the barrier to a quarter of charge. The alien found itself unable to free its spear. It turned and a pair of jagged blades ejected from its gauntlet. It charged forward and stabbed at Rtas. Rtas ducked and sliced with his sword, which the creature ducked under and tackled him. As he landed on the ground and saw his sword skipping across the floor, Rtas held the thing's fist back with his hands until he could no longer bear it. He let go, moving his head to the side and barely managing to avoid the creature's blades. He then swung his feet up, lifting the thing over his head and into the wall. The good side to this was that it left Rtas with breathing room. The bad news was that now his shields were almost gone.

The thing leapt to its feet. The plasma cannon activated and fired at him. Rtas jumped backwards and the thing exploded at his feet, throwing him across the room. His armor sparked and the shield meter did not recharge. The alien ran forward, its blades extended. Rtas blocked the blow on his arm gauntlet and kneed the thing in the stomach. It doubled over, then charged at him, its helmeted head hitting him in the gut. Rtas let out a _woof_ and stumbled backwards, then was knocked back farther as the thing's head shot up into his chin. The Sangheili cried out in pain and then was knocked to the floor by the creature's fist.

Rtas fell to the ground, unconscious. His helmet spun across the floor, coming to rest a short distance away. The alien came over to him, cocking its head slightly. This one made a good opponent. He was a great warrior. He would live.

The creature grabbed Rtas's ankle and began to drag the unconscious Ship Master across the floor, down the hallway towards where its compatriots had made their camp while they hunted down the last of their prey.

The Arbiter tapped the side of his helmet. "Ship Master? Rtas? Respond, please."

There was no response.

_Close to the banquet hall,_ the Arbiter thought. He ran off in the right direction, passing more scenes of slaughter. He was passing through another hallway when a weak call stopped him.

"Kaidon?"

The Arbiter turned. Lying against the wall badly injured and obviously dying, was a Sangheili warrior. The Arbiter recognized him. Before he'd been given his first command in the Covenant, the soldier had been one of the guards of his room. The Arbiter knelt by him. "Rest easy, warrior. What happened to you?"

"I do not know kaidon. They did not kill me. Instead they injured me until I could not resist. Then one of them placed its behind in my mouth and put something in it. I was forced to swallow, or I would choke, as it would not move until I ingested the thing. I do not know what it was, but now there is something shifting inside me. I do not think it good."

"I will call a dropship. We have medics onboard our ship, they can help you."

"It's too late, kaidon. It is nearly here."

"What is here? Tell me!"

"I…I…Argh! Ah! AAAAAHHH!"

The warrior began to thrash and scream in pain as, to the Arbiter's horror, his chest began to move. Something shifted beneath the skin, pushing the armor aside. With a loud tearing and a shrill scream from the warrior some kind of hideous spawn burst out of his chest. The Arbiter drew his sword instantly and stabbed the thing, impaling the soldier as well. One final moment of lucidity allowed the warrior to look at him and whisper "Thank you." before his head lolled to the side.

The Arbiter grabbed the thing that had killed the warrior and tore it out of his body. He then found the pike that the warrior had used, laid it beside him, and laid him out in state on the floor. "Safe journey, brave one. May the gods show you the mercy that these demons did not."

Getting up, he continued on his way. The warrior's death troubled him. If these invaders could infect his own people, that would explain the gaping holes in some of the bodies at the arena. He suddenly stopped as he realized what the thing had been.

An infant. The things were reproducing. Fortunately, the hatching of the monstrosities killed the host as well.

The Arbiter finally came to a hallway outside the banquet hall. He looked around. Pieces of floor and wall were littered around the hallway, and a small object shone in the faint light. The Arbiter knelt and picked the object up. It was a Sangheili helmet, pure white. He realized that there was only one warrior that this could belong to.

Rtas had been taken. The Arbiter placed the helmet in the pack he was wearing, then looked around further. A long spear was in the wall, apparently left there during the struggle. He also found Rtas's energy sword, which he clipped onto his belt. He then ran into the banquet hall.

As he did, a form appeared in the hallway. One of the other aliens came in, looking around after hearing footsteps. It spotted the spear that its comrade had lost. Going up to it, it pulled hard until the thing came out. It then turned and walked out the way it had come.

The Arbiter entered the banquet hall. More devastation was there. Bowls, plates, and goblets had been smashed, and Sangheili and creatures alike lay draped over the tables and sprawled on the floor. Several tables had been soaked in the blood of the creatures and had collapsed due to the acid. The Arbiter looked around at a loud hissing. He looked up at a balcony that was used to address diners when the kaidon or the keep's steward was not eating. A group of the creatures stood there, looking down at him. The Arbiter drew his plasma rifles and pointed them up. The things leapt from the balcony, going in different directions.

There were six of them, and the Arbiter could only keep his eyes on two as he fired. Blue bolts streaked across the room and towards the ceiling as the Arbiter fired frantically, trying to keep them from getting close enough to land a blow. At a loud screech he ducked as a creature's tail nearly took his head off. He pointed both plasma rifles at the creature and fired, blowing holes in its head. Turning, he was just in time to have the rifles slapped from his hands and be thrown across the room by a second creature. Landing on a table that collapsed under his weight, the creature that had thrown him came over to him, only to come face to face with the business end of a plasma pistol. The pulse of green light blew the thing's head off and the Arbiter ducked out of the way of the acid. Coming up, he charged the pistol and pointed it at another creature as it came down the wall and catapulted itself off, only to have its efforts rewarded by its head being burned through by the ball of plasma. The Arbiter moved out of its way as the body hit the floor and slid down the aisle between two tables.

Three down. The Arbiter checked the pistol's charge. Not enough to do that to all of them. Holstering the pistol, he ran across the room. One of the creatures landed on a table in front of him and the nonlethal part of its tail hit him in the stomach, throwing him into a table. Dazed and breathless, the Arbiter rose again as the thing landed in front of him. Three swipes of its claws connected with his face and it then grabbed his throat, bearing him backwards onto the table.

It squeezed, and the Arbiter felt bones in his neck stretching. The thing would break his neck if he didn't act fast. He grabbed the thing's head and turned it sharply, the crack of bone audible in the nearly silent room. Throwing the body off, he continued his run towards the plasma rifles. Grabbing them, he slid across the floor to face a creature that was running down the aisle between two tables towards him. The Arbiter fired at it and the thing jumped over the shots, landing in front of him just as he fired again, blowing holes in its chest. It collapsed on top of him and the Arbiter shoved it off before the blood could cool. Turning, he did not see the final creature slam into his back, bearing him to the floor. He felt it getting closer, felt its saliva dripping onto the back of his neck as its head moved towards his cranium. He suddenly flipped over, pinning the thing beneath him temporarily. As its claws tried to get close to the Sangheili's throat the Arbiter grabbed his energy swords. Turning, he activated them. The creature was not deterred and leapt forward only to be quickly decapitated. Its severed head thumped to the floor along with the body, which landed heavily on a table and broke it.

Breathing heavily, the Arbiter looked up. He then ran towards the head table and then jumped on top of it, then jumped up to grab the edge of the balcony. Managing to lift himself up to it, he grabbed the railing and pulled himself over it, collapsing on the floor exhausted. After two incredibly close fights and a whole night of this investigation he wanted to sleep, but he feared that if he did, the creatures would return and slaughter him. Or worse, make him a living egg.

As soon as he had regained his breath, he rose and began walking through the hallway. He remembered that it led to the walls. As he exited the hallway he looked around.

He was on the keep's walls. The bodies of the Sangheili garrison lay strewn about them, mingling with the bodies of the creatures. The Arbiter sighed and looked up at the night sky. If any Vadam Sangheili survived, there would be much to do after this was done. And if no Vadam Sangheili had survived, the crews would be planetside for possibly days.

He sighed again. "I wish you were here now, Spartan. I would welcome your help."

**Sorry for the delay in posting this. Poor Arbiter's face seems to be taking a lot of abuse...anyway, would really appreciate reviews! R and R!**


	5. Chapter 5

The Arbiter walked around the walls, seeing nothing but bodies and more bodies. He looked around. He would ask for the fleet to send reinforcements, but judging from what he saw here, they would be slaughtered as quickly as the guards had been.

He entered the keep again, walking through the devastated hallways. He came into what amounted as the keep's security room. They were apparently seen as a necessary precaution after the Covenant welcomed the Jiralhanae into their ranks, as the place had cameras stationed everywhere. Many of them had been taken down and static filled the displays, though there was one display marked replays.

The Arbiter turned the display on. Several files appeared before him. He tapped the one labeled south wall. That was the wall with the main gate.

He selected the time frame of five days ago. The camera was parallel to the wall, which gave him a view of what was happening on it, but not much else. He fast forwarded it through the start of the attack on the city. He saw Sangheili citizens and warriors that had managed to arm themselves run through the gates, which shut behind them. He let the recording play at normal speed as the guards manned the walls. He watched in silence as an army of the creatures assembled and then charged the walls, climbing up the sides and oblivious to the storm of plasma bolts, needler rounds, and beam rifle shots that slew many of them, sending scores of bodies plummeting from the wall.

His expression didn't change as the creatures finally reached the top of the walls. Brutal close-quarters combat followed with the bodies of Sangheili and invader alike toppling from the parapets. The Arbiter moved the view in. Many Sangheili were overwhelmed by sheer numbers, but large numbers of the creatures were still dying. Many were hacked and slashed to death by the pikes of the guards or shot at point-blank. Unfortunately, they could not hold out forever. The guards eventually forsook the walls and retreated inside the keep, the creatures pursuing them. The Arbiter stopped the video and began moving through the corridor videos, watching the savage combat, the creatures breaking down doors and slaughtering the occupants, the guards fighting with all of their strength but ultimately succumbing to the relentless onslaught of the creatures.

The Arbiter cut off the clip and the screen went blank. In its reflection, he could see a figure. Turning, he saw a man-like creature standing there. It stepped forward cautiously, though the Arbiter kept his hands where the thing could see them. If Rtas had been taken by the other creatures, this one could help him free him. If Rtas had been taken by this creature, the Arbiter wanted to see him.

The creature reached him, then extended a hand. It gently traced the wounds on the Arbiter's face, then extended its hand in a more peaceful way. The Arbiter looked at it cautiously, then took the hand. The creature shook his hand, turned, and walked out of the room, turning right. The Arbiter followed.

The creature led him on a winding course through the keep, though they finally ended up on a flight of stairs that the Arbiter remembered led to his old bedroom. The creature came to the door and knocked, then went inside as the door opened. The Arbiter followed.

Inside the large bedroom, five other creatures like his guide stood. They all sat in various forms of what the Arbiter took as relaxing, though they were apparently relaxing by cleaning their weapons and staring at the door, as if fearful something may come through and try to kill them.

_A justified fear,_ the Arbiter thought. He looked at the bed. On it was Rtas, unconscious. The Arbiter took the warrior's helmet from his pack and laid it beside the Sangheili. As he did, Rtas stirred. Rolling over, he looked at the Arbiter. "Arbiter? Were you captured as well?"

"No. They apparently find battle scars from the creatures as tests of merit."

A sound made them both look at the creatures. One of them, its appearance more grizzled and battle-scarred than the others, was staring at them. It turned to one wall and a small light exited its helmet, appearing on the wall and resolving itself into Sangheili script. The Arbiter read it out. "Who are you?"

Rtas spoke. "We are the inhabitants of this planet, returning after a war. Why are you here?"

The alien fiddled with its projector and the words changed.

"We come to prove ourselves by facing the ultimate hunt. You and your people were an obstacle in that hunt. All such impediments must die." The Arbiter turned. "You murdered my _people! _I am their leader and you slaughtered them as one would a herd of livestock!"

More words. Rtas read them this time, as the Arbiter was busy glaring at the creatures.

"The Xenomorphs are a much greater threat than we. Though we have managed to kill most of them, if any escape, this will start again in some other area of the planet. If you seek to have things return to what they once were, you will aid us in killing the Xenomorph queen, and the rest of her brood. Our readings have indicated that they have entirely vacated the city and have returned to the ship they hijacked to safeguard their queen. We must now take the fight to them."

"Not yet," the Arbiter said. "You must provide me answers to questions I hold if you wish for our assistance. Did you and the Xenomorphs slaughter all of my people? Is the State and line of Vadam no more?"

More words.

"Our infrared sensors have detected a small number of your species hiding in the cellars. No Xenomorphs were there, so we did not investigate that level."

"I will see them, and then provide you with my assistance."

"I agree with the Arbiter," Rtas said. "Once we possess proof that your words are true, we will aid you. Not a moment before, however."

Words.

"Of course. Meet us in the main hall when you are ready."

The creatures rose as one and walked out. As soon as he was certain they were out of earshot, the Arbiter turned to Rtas as the Sangheili rose from the bed. "Do you believe that we can trust them?"

Rtas shrugged. "I do not know, Arbiter. But they require our aid, and if what they say is true, we must slay this queen in order to save your people. All of Sangheilos."

The Arbiter nodded. He held out Rtas's sword. "I discovered your blade. What happened?"

"One of them attacked me. I was knocked unconscious."

The Arbiter nodded. "Then arm yourself, Ship Master. We go now to the cellars."

"Then lead on, Arbiter. Let us find your kin."

**I don't know if the Predators can actually type stuff, but it's logical, considering that they can mimic voices. R and R!**


	6. Chapter 6

They exited the room and walked down the stairs, heading towards a small door that led to the underground level of the keep. The Arbiter led the way, and they stopped at each door. They were all empty except for barrels and crates save one.

They walked into the room, weapons at the ready. The room was covered in what looked like webbing, and many small, ovoid objects sat on the floor. Rtas looked at the Arbiter. "What do you suppose they are?"

The Arbiter shook his head. "I don't know. But be cautious."

A small cracking noise suddenly split the air. Both Sangheili looked at the objects. One was opening. They trained their weapons on it. A small, flat thing inched its way out of the hole until it lay on the top of the egg. The Arbiter took a step closer. "What is it?"

The thing suddenly launched itself on top of the egg. The Arbiter gave a shout and backpedaled, until a blue bolt of plasma blew through the thing and it fell to the floor, dead. The Arbiter looked at Rtas. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. Whatever these things are, judging from what we have seen we do not want them near us."

"Yes."

They turned to the side wall and the Arbiter stared.

A Sangheili hung in front of them, strapped to the wall by the webbing. Another one of the things was attached to its face, completely obscuring the mandibles. As they watched, the thing peeled off of the warrior's face and flopped to the floor, apparently dead as well. The Sangheili however, still breathed.

The Arbiter drew his sword and stabbed the warrior. The Sangheili choked and then died. Rtas looked at him. "Why did you do that?"

"I have seen what happens next. These things place eggs for those creatures inside of our bodies. They hatch and come out through our chests. It was a mercy kill."

Rtas looked at all of the other eggs. "Then we should destroy all of them."

They set to work, shooting each egg until it was nothing but a puddle of pus on the floor. When they finally finished, they turned at a sound.

One of the creatures stood at the doorway. It looked at the destruction, then at them. It nodded, then turned and left.

"I guess we did the right thing," Rtas muttered.

The Arbiter put up his rifles. "Let us continue."

They began looking through the cellars again, not encountering any more egg rooms. When they got to the last door on this level, it was shut and locked and apparently barricaded. The Arbiter looked at Rtas. Rtas nodded and they both tackled the door in unison, their combined weight throwing it to the floor. Looking up, they were staring at the blades of a number of pikes. They were then lowered.

"Kaidon? Kaidon Thel?"

The Arbiter stood. "Yes. I have come back, after all these years."

"Thank the gods you've returned!" one of the Sangheili in the room said. "We locked ourselves in here after they breached the walls. One of us went out to see if they had left, but we have not heard from him for some time."

"The one you speak of is dead," Rtas said. "They took him and placed one of their eggs within him. The Arbiter slew him out of pity."

The Sangheili hung his head. "The gods be with him."

The Arbiter looked around the room. At least twenty Sangheili of varying genders were in the room. He looked at the one that had spoken. "We are going to stop this madness once and for all. Stay here and guard the others and we will return for you when our mission is complete."

"And if you die?"

The Arbiter growled. "I assure you that will not happen."

He turned to Rtas and jerked his head. Both warriors left, going back the way they came.

They eventually entered the entrance hall. The six creatures were there waiting for them. One of them activated the projector again.

"What are you called?"

The Arbiter and Rtas looked at each other before answering.

"I am the Arbiter, and my companion is Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum."

The words changed. "You may call us Predators. Are you ready?"

Both nodded.

"Then we move."

The Predators ran out of the keep into the fading night, the Sangheili hard on their heels.

As they ran, Rtas looked at the Arbiter. "Do you think they will be hard to stop?"

The Arbiter nodded. "I have barely survived two fights with them. They are formidable enemies up close."

"Then we can only hope we killed nearly all of them."

The Arbiter nodded.

They ran through the streets, reaching the outskirts. It was there that they found the crashed ship. It was human in nature, most likely out on a mission when the Xenomorphs took it over. One of the Predators, the battle-scarred one, activated its projector.

"We will split into groups. We will split into two and search for the queen. You two will do likewise."

"We will stay together, if that is alright with you."

"Suit yourself."

The Predator growled something to the others. They ran into the ship, jumping through the hole that the Sangheili had made when they entered the ship.

Rtas and the Arbiter followed, splitting off from the Predators and coming to a large room. The place was a mess. Wiring hung from panels in the ceiling and walls and various computers spat sparks. Rtas looked around. "Where should we proceed?"

The Arbiter pointed at a large service tunnel that led deeper into the ship. They were about to head that way when screeching interrupted them. The Arbiter's motion tracker showed almost a solid wall of red heading their way. He drew his plasma rifles, Rtas following suit.

The Xenomorphs charged out of the tunnel towards them, and the Sangheili opened fire. A storm of blue plasma cut into the horde, dropping Xenomorphs in their tracks. Others jumped onto the ceiling and climbed along it, but the Arbiter shifted his aim and two of them dropped to the floor. As he was occupied Rtas ran forward, shooting a Xenomorph then using its body as a springboard. He flew over the horde, still firing, and landed on top of a steel beam protruding from the wall. Dropping the now-spent plasma rifles, he drew his pistol and sword. Turning and firing a burst he took down a Xenomorph that fell from the spar to reveal more coming towards him. Rtas sliced one in two with his energy sword, then bisected another down the middle, and shot two others that were trying to climb over him.

The Arbiter was still firing as fast as he could, Xenomorphs dropping closer and closer to him. As one leapt at him, Rtas's energy blade spun down from behind the Arbiter and hit the thing in the chest, knocking it to the floor. Rtas leapt from the bar and fired at the last Xenomorph, landing on top of it. The Arbiter nodded and looked around to make sure that that had been all of them. The Xenomorph that had been pinned by the blade was still alive. The Arbiter pointed one of his plasma rifles at it and shot it in the head. The two Sangheili then continued their excursion.

Walking through the service tunnel, the Arbiter looked around at the slaughtered humans that lay on the floor. The odd Xenomorph lay on the floor as well, riddled with bullets. The Arbiter knelt and closed the eyes on a Marine before looking up at Rtas. "We should be close to the hangar bay."

"But there should also be another large room in front of it. The 'mess hall', I believe the humans call it."

They walked farther and eventually came to a pitch black room. The Arbiter flicked on the light switch. It didn't work. He sighed and flicked on his flashlight.

Xenomorphs were revealed by it, growling.

"Damn," Rtas cursed tiredly.

This time the Arbiter ran forward, plasma rifles blazing. Rtas drew his sword and shield and began fending off Xenomorphs, slicing, cutting and stabbing.

The Arbiter jumped onto a table, shooting a Xenomorph that leapt at him and dodging to the side as the thing hit the other table and slid across the surface.

Meanwhile, Rtas was being swarmed. He swung his blade in large sweeps, and Xenomorphs dropped in halves. Slicing a Xenomorph down the middle, he pulled the blade out and activated two plasma grenades. As a Xenomorph tackled him, he stuck it with the grenade and pushed it off with his feet, leaving it to fly into its compatriots and explode, taking a few with it. The other Rtas tossed into the horde, turning his shield in the direction of the explosion. He took this opportunity to run across the mess hall, still slicing and killing as he went. He looked up and noticed he was at the food service window. Inside that window was the kitchen, and inside the kitchen were a number of volatile, gas-fueled appliances.

Rtas's mouth parts split in a smile. He then primed another grenade and tossed it through the window, holding his shield in its direction as the Xenomorphs charged towards him. They all leapt into the air en masse, and the grenade exploded. Rtas was blown across the room as the kitchen blew up, fire cutting through the wall and causing a torrent of flame to wash over the room. Xenomorph corpses fell to the floor around him, smoke rising from their carapaces. The room was now quiet, lit with an orange hue by the flames from the kitchen.

"Arbiter!" he shouted. "Arbiter, do you still live?"

"Yes, though barely."

The Arbiter rose up from under the wreckage of a shattered table. "A creative way to kill them, if not the safest."

Rtas nodded and deactivated his sword and shield. The Arbiter discarded his spent plasma rifles. "I am almost out of weapons. You?"

"One grenade, my pistol, and my blade and shield."

"The hangar bay should be just up ahead. Perhaps the queen is there."

A noise at the door made them turn. The Predators had entered the room and were surveying the carnage. The veteran looked at them and nodded. They then ran across the room and through the door, the Sangheili following them.

**The next chapter will be the final battle with the alien queen. R and R!**


	7. Chapter 7

They all managed to reach the hangar bay without any further incident. The six Predators and two Sangheili came to the flight control center. One of the Predators pointed. The Arbiter and Ship Master peered into the darkness, only to spot a large creature that towered nearly to the ceiling.

"The queen," the Arbiter muttered.

The Predators nodded in unison.

They left the flight control room, coming out onto a catwalk that was across the room from the alien queen. The Predators' plasma casters whirred as they rose from their wielders' armor and targeted the Xenomorph Queen. It noticed the six small triangles pointed at it, and screeched in fury as the Predators opened fire.

Blue bolts of plasma shot forward, blowing off chunks of the creature's body. The Predators jumped from the catwalk, drawing their various weapons. The Sangheili went down via the stairs, keeping the Predators in view as well as they could. Six yellow dots were moving around his motion tracker, and the queen was screeching from time to time.

The story was far different from the point of view of the Predators. They leapt and jumped as the queen shot her stinger at them, smashing boxes and vehicles as she attempted to impale them. Bladed discs flew through the air, slicing into the queen's armor then boomeranging back to their owners. The lead Predator backflipped over a box to avoid the queen's stinger then ran forward. Running up the stinger's length, he threw his spear at the queens' head. It struck her in the middle of her head, sending a spurt of acidic blood arcing into the air.

The leader then spun to the side, firing a burst of plasma. The others followed his example, throwing their spears at the queen. She screeched in pain even more. A frenzied slash of her tail beheaded one of the Predators, the others increasing the ferocity of their attacks.

Rtas and the Arbiter joined the battle, firing their plasma pistols. The green bolts hit the queen, melting her armor. A swipe of her tail swept the Arbiter's legs out from under him; only his armor and shields saved him from being maimed. Rtas lunged at the stinger with his sword, slicing the razor sharp tip clean off.

Their pistols spent, the Sangheili drew their swords and rushed towards the queen. As another Predator, impaled and mortally wounded, fell past them, they ran onto the queen. Running up her body as the remaining Predators continued to distract it, Rtas tossed his plasma grenade to the Arbiter. The Arbiter reached the queen's head, and as she opened her mouth to scream at him, he primed the grenade and threw it into her mouth.

Both Sangheili ran, managing to dive to the floor as the queen's head exploded.

The body teetered for a moment, then fell and landed on the metal floor with a great crash.

Utter silence fell. The surviving six looked at each other. The leading Predator looked at its two slain companions, then walked over to the queen's carcass and removed the six spears embedded in her carapace.

He tossed two of them to the Sangheili, then it and the remaining three picked up their fallen and left the ship.

The Predator vessel was already on the ground when they got there, and the Predators boarded without incident from the Fleet of Retribution.

As it flew away, Rtas contacted the _Shadow of Intent_ to send down clean-up teams and to move the human ship to a place where they could blow it up safely.

After this was being done, the Arbiter went to the top of the Vadam Keep.

The sun was rising over the state, its golden glow bathing the city in light.

_A shame,_ he thought, _that almost none survived to see it._

The Sangheili bodies were all laid on countless pyres in several days of backbreaking work. The Arbiter and the remaining Vadam Sangheili walked among the pyres, burning them, to give the Vadam Sangheili a proper warriors' funeral.

Rtas walked over to the Arbiter as he watched his subjects' pyres burn. "It will be all right, Arbiter. Vadam will rebuild, and become stronger for this ordeal."

The Arbiter nodded. "Yes. And we will be ready, if these creatures should ever return."

Amid the plumes of smoke rising into the sky, there came a great blast from the _Shadow of Intent_. It was a shot of plasma aimed at the massive pile of Xenomorphs that had been gathered and scornfully put in a deep crevice. To make sure they stayed dead, they were being burned to atoms.

The Arbiter sighed again and looked up at the sky. Vadam would rebuild, and time would pass on. But among history, in any conflict that Vadam was embroiled in, Vadam would never come as close to annihilation as it did that night.

**And there it is. This is probably one of the shortest stories I've written, partly because I was anxious to finish it, partly because I think I moved the plot too fast. Hope you enjoyed it!**


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